"The Mystery of the Holy Face"
The article, published in issue №5 (14) under the title "The Mystery of the Holy Face," is devoted to the history and scientific study of an Armenian relic kept in the Church of St. Bartholomew of the Armenians in Genoa — a cloth bearing an image of the Face of Christ that, according to tradition, dates back to the era of the Roman Empire.
Introduction and Methodology
The author examines the Holy Face as a monument that unites hagiographic tradition, Byzantine historiography, and the findings of modern laboratory research (radiography, tomography) conducted by Professor Colette Dufour and Pico Cellini.
Edessan Origins and the Armenian Context
The tradition of King Abgar of Edessa and the messenger who brought back the Face of Christ is traced. The following points are noted:
- the significant role of the Armenian element in the governance of Edessa;
- testimonies from Eusebius of Caesarea, Movses Khorenatsi, and Evagrius;
- confirmation of the relic's existence by Pope Adrian I.
Transfer to Constantinople
The events of 944 are reconstructed in detail: the victories of John Kourkouas, the ransoming of the relic from the emir, and the ceremonial reception at court, where real power belonged to the Armenian Romanos Lekapenos rather than to the nominal ruler Constantine VII. The ceremony of placing the Face in the Pharos Chapel and the establishment of an annual feast are described.
Iconographic Legacy
It is noted that the image became the archetype for depictions of Christ, giving rise to the tradition of the Mandylion (Spas Nerukotvorny) in Orthodox iconography, while the ten medallions of the frame illustrate the complete cycle of the legend — from the failure of Abgar's painter to the miracle in Constantinople.
Journey to Genoa
The transfer of the Face to Genoa in 1362 by Captain Leonardo Montaldo is covered, along with its concealment until the Doge's dying hour, its theft by French troops in 1507 and subsequent return, and the creation of a precious reliquary case in the 17th–18th centuries.
Scientific Discoveries
Twentieth-century research revealed:
- a linen base on a cedar panel;
- traces of pearl ornamentation;
- fragments of Sasanian and Fatimid fabrics ("brandea");
- correspondences between the Genoese Holy Face and the Shroud of Turin.
The Church of St. Bartholomew of the Armenians
A separate section is devoted to the history of the monastery, founded in 1308 by Basilian monks from the Black Mountain (Sev Ler), to the papal bull of Clement V, the architectural evolution of the church, and its rich decorative program dedicated to the history of the relic.
Key Conclusion
The author concludes that the Holy Face represents a unique monument in which Armenian, Byzantine, and Genoese traditions of venerating the image of the Savior intersect, and that modern scientific methods make it possible to confirm the antiquity of the relic and its connection to a broader circle of Christian sacred objects, including the Shroud of Turin.
The article traces the history of the Armenian relic of the Holy Face — from Edessa through Constantinople to Genoa — and shows how modern laboratory research confirms the antiquity of the cloth and its connection to the Shroud of Turin.
Continuity of the image through transfers